With the aim of opposing the India-United States nuclear agreement, the Communist Party of India - Marxist is trying to form a third front without the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, senior party leader Sitaram Yechuri said on Sunday.

Addressing a public meeting, Yechuri also requested other parties to join this front.

He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] would be leaving for the US to operationalise the deal, which is supposed to enable India to get 20,000 MW of nuclear power. This would cost Rs 2.25 lakh crore. However, the same quantum of energy could be produced in the country for about Rs 60,000 crore, he said.

The money thus saved could be used to improve education, health services and provide employment to the people, he added.